Nebraska Newspapers

    '==^ The Monitor
A NATIONAL WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS
I THE REV. JOHN AI.BERT WILLIAMS. Editor
$2.00 a Year. 5c a Copy % OMAHA, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 1923 Whole Number 407 VOL. Vin—No. 42
r HEAR CONGRESSMAN DYER NEXT MONDAY NIGHT
I JOIN TIE I. A. A. C. P. AND HELP Nil TIE FKNT FIN JUSTICE AM IIDDT
CONGRESSMAN DYER,
AUTHOR OF FAMOUS
BILL, SPEAKS HERE
Making Country-Wide Tour in Advo
cacy of Anti-Lynching Hill Which
Will Be Re-Introduced in
Next Congress
FIGHT FOR MEASURE GOES OR
Its Champion Will Speak Monday
Night at Council Chamber Un
der Auspice* National Advance
ment Association
Representative Leonidas C. Dyer, of
Missouri, who introduced the federal
anti-lynching bill bearing his name in
Congress, will address a mass meet
ing here under the auspices of the
National Association for the Advance
ment of Colored People on the night
of April 30, 1923, in the City Hall
Council Chamber at 7:45 P. M. Mr.
Dyer i- on a country-wide tour of
the middle and far west, lecturing
undeV the Advancement Association’s
auspices, on “The Shame of America,’’
against which a fight is to i>e staged
in thp next Congress.
Representative Dyer’s measure was
passed in the House of Representa
tives Aiy a vote of 230 to 119 and was
favorably reported by the Committee
on the Judiciary of the Senate. It
had to be abandoned when a group of
Southern Democratic Senators served
notice that their filibuster would be
continued against the Anti-Lynching
hill, holding up the business of the
entire country, until a pledge wus giv
y en by the Republicans that the issue
I would not be forced in that session.
1 In connection with the meeting the
“* following statement from Mr. Dyer
was given out at the local office of
the National A -ociation for the Ad
vancement of Colored People:
*T am going liefore the country on
the issue of lynching, a national
shame which for thirty-five years the
states have failed to end and the fed- j
eral government has failed to attack.
“The Anti-Lynching Bill which I j
introduced in Congress and which was
passed by a vote of almost 2 to 1 in
the House of Representatives, was
stopped in the Senate by the filibus- j
u ter of Senators from those states in
which most lynching* occur.
“The federal Anti-Lynching Bill is
not sectional. ^ applies to evpry part
of the country. It assumes that an
a atrocity in America is a national dis- |
grace whether it occurs in Georgia, j
or Texas, or Oregon or Illinois.
“I shall reintroduce this measure I
in the next Congress. It will be re- j
introduced, I believe, in the Senate. |
Meanwhile I shall acquaint as many j
American citizens as possible with
the horrors of lynching in America,
and with the provisions of the bill de- j
signed to end those horrors.
“We shall then see if a small min-J
ority of men from any group of:
-tates can block an expression of the |
will of the people of this nation.’’
ALLEN CHAPEL A. M. E. CHURCH
25th and R Sts. Market 3475
O. J. Burckhardt, Paster
Rev. T. S. Saunders preached a
great sermon at 11:00 A. M. from the
text, "As the Eagle Stirs Her Nest.”
At 8:00 V. M. S. E. Gross brought us
a good and interesting message, us
ing "Love" as the subject.
At 11:00 A. M. Sunday the pastor
will preach on "Traits of Old Satan.”
Don’t fail to hear this sermon. At
8:00 P. M. there will be a real Evan
1 gelistic service which all will enjoy.
The Sunday school and church work
generally is running on nicely. Miss
Ruby Redd wants 50 more young peo
ple to join her league. We were glad
to have with us Rev. Mr. Bryant, Ol
iver, Young and Ewing, also Miss
Gertrude Lucas, an several other
visitors.
J. B. Showers is getting along nicc
L |y at the St. Joseph hospital and Mrs.
Sarah Jones is still crippled with
■a rheumatism.
HT. PAI L PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
I Twenty-sixth and Seward Streets—
\ Russel Taylor, Pastor.
The attendance at both services
Sunday showed improvement in punc
f tuality and numbers. It is not yet
what it should be. Let’s not be satls
V fled until every member is in his pew
at eleven o’clock. When we ourselves
reach that point we will find that
our influence will be felt by those
RAY MIDDLETON JONES
Athenas in "The Price”
who are interested in us and in the
work of the Kingdom.
At the morning service the pastor
will have for his topic, "Some Tilings
in Which St. Paul’s May Show Leader
ship." Every communicant, friend
and well wisher of the church will
profit much by hearing this disous
J sion. Will you begin now to plan
to be present.
The topic for discussion at 7:00 p.
in, in the Christian Endeavor meeting
is correlative to the morning topic. It
i is, "What My Denomination Has
j Meant to the World.” The Scriptural
reference is I Peter 2:9-12. Miss
| Jamie Chandler will lead the meeting.
Clean up, paint up, spruce up. Make
| v our home the most attractive place
1 in tha block and your block, the pret
! tiest in the city.
—
METHODIST WOMEN
SOUTH OPEH WAR
OH LYHCHIHG EVIL
All Good People, Authorities, Puipit
And Press Called to Join in Re
lentless Crusade Against the
Menace
PLAN AGGRESSIVE CAMPAIGN
Mobile, Ala., April 27, (Special):—
Plans for an aggressive South-wide j
campaign against lynching were for-.
mulated here last week by the Wom
an’s Missionary Council of the M. E.
Church South, which went on record ]
in unmeasured condemnation of mob
violence and called upon the author
ities, the pulpit, the press and all good
people to unite for its suppression.
The following resolutions were adopt
ed by unanimous vote:
"Whereas, the defeat of the Dyer
Anti-Lynching Hill has thrown back
upon each state the whole responsi
bility for removing this hideous
crime; therefore
“He it Resolved: That the Wom
an’s Missionary Council of the Meth
odist Episcopal Church, South, in an
nual session in Mobile, Ala., April
4-11, 1023, do now demand of the au
thorities of the several states that
they make good their claim of the
right of local self-government by
proving their competency to abolish
mob violence and lynching.
"That as citizens we assume our re
sponsibility for the protection of hu
man life and hereby call upon all the
people of all the states, upon the pul
pit and the press, to join against
these barbarous practices.”
A plan was adopted for enlisting,
in an intelligent, systematic anti
lynching campaign, the 6,000 local or
ganizations affiliated with the Coun
cil which have an aggregate member
ship of nearly 250,000 of the South's,
most influential women. The plan
provides for a study of lynching on
the part of each local society for the
effort to secure in each state such
special legislation on this subject as
may be needed, for vigilance In the
prevention of mob violence, for act
ive co-operation with officials in
bringing the members of mobs to jus
tice, and for a sustained effort to de
velop in each community a spirit of
good will that will make such crimes
impossible. In pursuance of these
ends, the societies will seek the co
opeartion of all other religious and
civic groups. The Council pledged to
the campaign both moral and finan
cial support. Mrs. Luke Johnson, who
is director of Woman’s Work in the
Southern Commission on Inter-racial
Co-operation, was re-elected chairman
of the Council’s Commission on Race
Relations.
Southern Methodist women, led by
the late Miss Belle H. Bennett, have
for a number of years been deeply in
terested in the Christianizing of race
relations and have been doing very
effective work to that end.
N. W. C. A. NOTES
The advisory and directors board
of Old Folks Home will meet with
Mrs. Shelton Union Tuesday evening,
May 1, 8 o'clock. We hope to see all
members present as there will be bus
iness of much importance to be dis
cussed.
Don’t forget the regular monthly
meeting first Wednesday in May at the
Home at 10:30. The weather is get
ting good now so we hope you won't
have that for an excuse for not com
ing. We are looking foreward to a
big year this year, the only way are
going to go over the top is to bind
our hearts and hand together and say,
‘‘I will go over this year.”
ELIZABETH M. REED,
Corresponding Secretary.
2035 Franklin Street.
2.1HH WHIFFED IN FLORIDA
Tallahassee, Fla., April 27.—Last
week’s estimate of 1,000 blacks and
whites whipped last year is too low.
New York correspondents inves
tigating prison camps are placing the
average at 200 a month, or 2,468 dur
ing 1922.
FORM Fit OM AH A RESIDENT
DIFS IN ( Hit ADO
News has reached friends in this
city of the death in Chicago last week
of Mrs. William Wiley who for many
years was a resident of this city. She
had been in poor health for some
months prior to her death.
■ -=1 j
JOHN WOOD
Ga*ton in “The Price”
BROODING OVER DEATH
OF HIS BROTHER MAI
HAVE LER TO SUICIDE
Edward Pleasant Mias ng from Home
Is Believed to Have Jumped
Off Douglas Street
Bridget
Edward Pleasant of 1417 North
Twenty-first street, who has been
missing from hia home since Wednes
day afternoon, is believed to have
committod suicide by jumping off the
Douglas street bridge early Thursday
morning. Since the sudden death of
his brother Eli, Monday morning, to
whom he was greatly devoted, his
grief seemed to be inconsolable. He
told his wife that he could not bear it.
He left home at half past 3 o’clock
Wednesday afternoon, telling his wife
he was going for a little walk. Since
that time he has not been seen. He
wore a black derby and light over
coat- The toll-keeper at the Douglas
street bridge reported that a man
answering his description asked him
about 4 o’clock Thursday morning
what time the cars began running. His
attention was taken in collecting toll
when he turned again the man vas
gone and he is alleged to have said
that he heard a splash as though some
one had jumped into the river.
Eli Pleasant, who for five years had
been employed as porter in a barber
shop at 1520 Dodge street, while wash
ing woodwork Sunday morning fell
from a twelve-foot ladder but was
not considered seriously hurt. Mon
day morning he left home at 6 o'clock.
He died suddenly at 8:30. Edward
became frantic with grief on getting
the news and it seemed impossible for
him to get over it. The funeral which
was to have been hebj. Thursday after
noon was postponed until Friday be
cause of the disappearance of the
brother.
Eli Is survived by two other broth
ers, Junius of Kansas City, Mo., who
with his wife came to the funeral, and
James of Chicago. Two close friends,
Carter Thomas and Harry Hurt, came
from Kansas City Thursday morning
to attend the funeral hut had to re
turn Thursday night.
RANDOLPH URGES FIGHT
I -
New York, April 27—A. Philip Ran
dolph, editor of the Messenger, a
radical magazine, provoked the storm
of discussion when he addressed the
Fellowship Society, composed of white
pacifists, when he said that fighting
hack is the only way for the Negro
to combat the spirit of the Klan.
NOBLE JOHNSON GETS CONTRACT
Universal City, Cal., April 27.—
Noble Johnson, well-known colored
film actor, has been signed up by the
Universal Film Corporation for serial
special feature productions. Hie first
picture will be “Burning Words", a
Northwest Mounted story in which he
will support Roy Stewart.
MASSACHUSETTS TURNED
DOWN MARRIAGE BAB
Boston, Mass., April 27.—The speak
er of the Massachusetts house of rep
resentatives has sent word to the Bos
ton branch of the National Equal
Rights league that the rules commit
tee, of which he is the chairman, had
decided to report adversely on sus
pending the rules to admit the Dili
forbidding marriage between “persons
of different color”. The regular time
for introducing bills is passed and the
committe did not even deign to grant
the proponent of the color line bill
a hearing.
FOURTEEN I OPS PROMOTED
St. U>uis, Mo., April 27.—Fourteen
1—1
DR. JOHN A. SINGLETON
DePrefont in “The Price'’
From Nebraska to Arkansas and Back
Experiences and Observations of the Editor on Trip to Southland
Where He Saw Many Things of Interest
SOME MEN OF VISION
It was an ancient Hebrew prophet
who wisely said, “Where there is no
vision the people perish.” This is un
doubtedly true. There can be no pro
gress without vision and where there
is no progress there is first sterility
and then decay. It is because that
our people even in the dreary, dark
some days of servitude numbered
among them men of vision that our
race has made such phenomenal pro
gress as to challenge the admiration
of the world. It is this power of vi
sion, seeing that which is invisible
save to the mind’s eye, to the eye of
faith, which accounts for that sunny
optimism so characteristic of our race,
which others find it difficult to under
stand, and which is the earnest of
greater achievements In the days
which lie before us. And there are
men of vision with us yet. These men,
and women, too, for I use the word
men genericaliy, seldom realize how
splendid their vision i* and how much
It embraces. Inspired1 by it they act
in the present. The future alone re
veals the scope and grandeur of their
vision.
This fact is illustrated by the
founding of the organization of which
I told you something last week, the
Mosaic Templars of America, with its
national headquarters so well-housed
in its own great modern and well
equipped office building in Little
Rock.
The story of its organization Is
this: In 1883 a young man of our race
was standing on a street corner in
Little Rock talking to a prominent
white man. An aged colored woman
approached them begging money with
which to bury her husband. Both
men gave her some money. As she
left the white man prefacing his re
marks with profanity said: “I can’t
see or understand your people. When
they work they throw their earnings
away, and whenever a 'nigger' dies
or needs help the public muet be
worried to death with ‘nigger’ beg
gars—it’s a shame.”
The young man to whom this re
mark was addressed was John E.
Bush. It stung him to the quick. He
realized the truth of the statement.
He then and there resolved that by
God’s help he would try to remedy this
condition in Little Rock. He had the
vision of a local benevolent society
into which the members would pay a
small sum weekly which would en
able them to care for the sick and
bury the dead. It is remarkable how
nearly all our societies and organiza
tions seem to have centered and still
center around sickness and death.
Have you ever thought of it? Well,
this was young Hush’s Idea, or vision,
if you please. He consulted with his
friend, another young man, C. W.
Keatts. Seated on the steps of an
old building on Ninth .and Broadway
these two young men worked out
their plans which brought into exist
ence the Mosaic Templar* of America.
They started their home benevolent
association with fifteen members.
Their treasury was started with about
$1.50. The treasurer was not re
quired to give bond. That was in
1883. The one lodge or society has
grown to over 2,000, operating in
twenty-eight states,' Central America
and the West Indies, with a member
ship of over 100,000, and rapidly in
creasing; "with an annual income
closely approximating the million
dollar mark, while upon the spot
where Bush and Keatts sat on the
doorsteps to work out their plans
i%fj8 the magnificent four-story
structure of steel, stone, brick and
mortar, of which I told you last week,
housing the activities of the Negro
organization which Joined the United
States government $76,000|
John E. Bush and Chester W. Keatts
were men of vision. They did not
realize what their vision embraced or
how wonderfully it would unfold its
hidden blessings. They thought of
others’ needs and how they might be
helped. It has been well said that
this organization owed Its birth to
three distinct causes: ‘‘First, a white
man’s scorn; second, a Negro wom
an’s poverty; third, a Negro man's
shame.”—But its inspiring cause was
vision.
It Is noteworthy that descendants
of these men, with other far-sighted
member* of the order, bare caught the
vision of possibilities which the found
ers only faintly and dimly realized.
They thought primarilly of relief and
help during the trying times of sick
ness and death. The men in charge
today, while not losing sight of this,
realize that there is an important
duty to the living that such organiza
tions as this can and should dis
charge. The resources of the Order
can be used and are used to help its
members lift mortgages from farms
and other business enterprises threat
ened with forclosure and loss; to pre
vent exploitation; to help finance
where circumstances justify worthy
commercial enterprises and industries
of the race. While doing these help
ful and necessary things the resources
are carefully safeguarded by business
acumen and principles.
One has but to meet and talk with
such men as S. J. Elliott, national
grand master, whose rugged, kindly
face indicates strength and poiBe of
character; Sclpio A. Jones, attorney
general, keen- alert, courteous and
kindly, one of America’s foremost
legal minds; or A. E. Bush, national
secretary-treasurer, quiet, unassuming
and efficient, with others of the na
tional and state executives to realize
that they are men of vision.
Listen to this! Sciplo A. Jones
said to me: “If our race can develop
a national organization which num
bers its membership by hundreds of
thousands and haB at its command
four or five millions of dollars one can
readily see the tremendous influence
for the good of our people such a
strongly financed organization would
be. I hope to see the Mosaic Tem
plars of America develop into such a
power as this, that it may not only
aid in securing our full rights as citi
zens everywhere but help in the com
mercial and industrial advancement
of our race.’’
Here spoke a man of vision. Do you
not agree with him? I am quite sure
you do. May such men of vision in
crease among us. And may more of
us realize that we have our part to
do in making this vision or dream
come true.
Next week: “Some Public Institu
j tiona.”
I , —
EDDIE LOU ROBINSON
Sophie in “The Price”
colored probationary cops, appointed
August 1921, have been promoted
either to the rank of regular patrol
men or to the secret service.
A WORTHY CAUSE
The Dubois Players, a local ama
teur dramatic club of more than av
erage ability and which has always
pleased its audiences, will appear in
a high class drama, “The Price,” at
the Brandeis theatre, next Thursday
evening for the benefit of the Old
Folks Home. This is the only- charity
managed and supported by our peo
ple in this city. It is a most worthy
cause. The dramatic club is to be
congraulated upon giving this produc
tion for such a praise-worthy purpose
and our people should show their ap
preciation by filling the beautiful
Brandeis theatre to its capacity next
Thursday night.
NEGRO MIGRATION
NORTH BECOMING
QUITE ALARMING
Over 32,(MH) Farm Hands Leave Geor
gia In the Twelve Months and
Large Numbers from Other
.States, Is Report.
SEMOISLY EFFECTS CROPS
Large Abandonment of Acreage Re
ported and Shortage of Labor
Makes Agricultural Out
look Grave.
Washington, April 27.—(Crusader
Service.)—Approximately 32,000, or 13
per cent of Negro farm hands or labor
ers in Georgia, have moved north in
the past twelve months. Since Septem
ber of last year 22,750 Negro fanners
have left South Carolian constituting
a loss of about 3 per cent of the Negro
farm population. These figures were
made public by the Department of
Agriculture following a special sur
vey of southern farming districts to
check up the reported general move
ment of Negro farmers to northern in
dustrial centers. The situation in
Georgia Is said to be more serious
than generally realized. Hight indus
trial wages is given as the chief rea
son for the migration of Negroes from
the south to the north. Boll-wevil
conditions last years which made cot
ton growing unprofitable for many
Negro fanners, unrest among return
ing troops who experienced more at
tractive living conditions away from
the south during and after the war,
lynching, inequality of treatment and
breakdown of contract labor system
are given as contributory causes. The
movement of Negro farm laborers
from Florida is estimated at 2 per
cent of the population of this class.
Alabama has lost 3% per cent of her
total Negro farm population. Figures
from Arkansas show a loss of 15,000 ,
or about 3 per cent. The movement
from Kentucky has been very small
and from Missouri, North Carolina and
Oklahoma no movement is reported.
Louisiana has lost about 1 per cent of
her Negro farm labor, and since April
7, 1922, Tennessee reports a loss of
4,500 Negro farmers. In Texas the
farm labor situation is not so serious
as in the eastern cotton states. The
movement in Georgia and certain
other states goes on although crops
for the present season have been
started. A large abondonment of acre
age Is reported and labor shortage is
expected to be a major factor in lim
iting acreage this season.
FARMER HELD FOR KILLING
NEGRO WITH SHOTGUN
Atlantic City, N. J., April 27.—An
thony Cirali, forty-seven, a white
farmer at Folsom, has been held with
out bail by Magistrate Burdick at Egg
Harbor on a charge of murder. Cirali,
according to state police, shot and
killed a Negro believed to be Natha
niel B. Wilson, in the kitchen of Cira
li’s home.
SCIENTIFIC DRUM
TELEGRAPH AFRICA!
TRIUAL NETWORK
Natives Vibrate Messages to All Parts
of Continent—Carrying on
Bolshevist Pro
paganda.
AFRICA FOR THE AFRICAN
The Message Broadcasted by Fearless
Agitators—European Powers Are
Helpless Against “Hnb-a
Dnb” Messages.
New York, April 27.—(Crusader
Service.)—Drum talk! The phrase
carries a thrill for all who know
Africa, Reports from London to the
effect that African nationalists are
conducting a propaganda throughout
the Dark Continent and that they are
broadcasting their messages by primi
tive wireless will have special inter
est for all who have read the works
of Paul Du Chaillu, Sir Richard Bur
ton, E. D. Morel, Major A, J. N. Tre
mearne, Sir Harry Johnson and Evans
I-iewin. All these writers know the
drums. Thousands of other white in
vaders—less atriculate—perhaps, have
heard them, throbbing by day and
thundering by night, and listening,
feared the uprising that their mess
ages foreboded. To these it will be
highly significant that an organized
campaign is being put into effect, be
cause they know, quite as well as
the promoters of the campaign, that
drum talk ia effective; it works, it
serves the natives just as the more
exact but no more scientific telegraph
and cable system serves the Euorpean
*nd American. The principle of drum
talk is absolutely scientific. The
African drum—vibration—is doubtless,
the ancestor of the telegraph, tele
phone, phonograph and radio. Waves
vf sound, waves of energy, producing
through space, vibrate on sensitive
intennae. The length, the intensity,
the power of the vibrations, following
me after another, go to form a sys
tem of speech which to the practiced
?ar is every bit as intelligible as the
spoken word of a person immediately
present The boom, boom, boom of a
Bum, beaten on hilltop five miles
listant, conveys intelligence to the
latives educated to hear and translate
t just as the tick, tick, tick of the
elegraph instrument in an ofiice con
veys intelligence to a clerk familiar
vith the code. What is going on, then,
n Africa today is a telegraph cam
paign. One chief after another, one
igitator after another is repeating the
slogan, "Africa for the Africans’’.
Has Drum Corps.
The trick is thousands of years old.
It has reached a high state of develop
ment. It is universally known, at
east in Africa. Every tribe deserving
'° he called has a corps of drummers.
They are the relay men upon whom
•he working of the system depends.
They are tuned to catch and to re
produce the merest fragment of
sound. Caupt. H. O. Newland in his
landbook on West Africa, published
n Txmdon in 1922, speaks again and
tgain of drum talk. For example he
»ays of the Bakwiri tribe, dwelling on
:he Cameroon mountains: “They have
i horn language, which is very quaint,
is well as a drum language, by which
tews is conveyed from clan to clan
jy drum tapping—a language which
leither slaves nor women are permit
ted to learn; but which Is not pecu
liar to the Bakwiri, as other races,
particularly the neighboring Duala,
possess a similia means of communi
:ation.” Further on, Captain Newland
lays, "Drums are used to convey dis
ant messages by rythm in the signal
ing as in Uganda, where each chief
taa his own beat Here, in West
Africa the drum is divided, i. «., the
vooden sides are of different thick
tess, thus giving two tones.’’
Covers the Continent.
Indeed, as most authorities on
Africa testify, the drum broadcasting
lystem covers the continent of Africa
lust as the telegraph system covers
-he continent of North America. And,
it works speedily, too. News of Im
portant events, like the conclusion
of the World War rattles fiom hill
to hill with unbelievable speed.
WHO KNOWS WALTER
CARTER’S CHILDREN!
Walter Carter of Akron, Ohio, was
recently killed by a train on the Rile
railroad. It le believed that he ha* a
son and daughter somewhere in the
west, presumably in Omaha. If they
are in this city or anyone knows their
whereabouts it will be appreciated if
they will phone Kenwood S7M.